Sewing-machine.



H. E. SMALLBONE.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLlcATIoN FILED MAY 9, 1911.

L26@ l l., Patented Apr. 9,1918.

fi @AES Pill @FEFQE HARRY E. .SMALLBONEL OF BUFFALQfNEW YORK, ASSGNGR T0 'DOMESTC SENING- MACHINE CO., INC., OIE BUFFALO, NEW' YORK, A. VC0R13C)RP-L'ION' OF NEV YORK.

.Specification ofLetters Patent.

`rlatented Apr. 9,1918.

Application filed May 9, 1917. SerialNo. 167,555.

'To all whom t may concern Be it known that l, `HARRY E. SMALL- lBonn, ka citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, county of Erie, State of `New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Sewing-`\achines, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, whichform a part of this specification.

One of the inconvenient features of the ordinary sewing machine is the cover or plate which must be removed whenever access is desired to the shuttle. The present invention has for its object to produce 'a simple and novel arrangement by means of which the aforesaid cover or platemay be placed in position and removed quickly land conveniently and, when in position, be rmly held.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed ont with particularity in the claims but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages, reference maybe had tothe following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the shuttleend of the bed or table of a sewino machine arranged in accordance witha preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3 3 'of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 44 of F ig. 1; and

F ig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the detachable cover or plate removed from themachine.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the bed of a sewingmachinehaving a eentral section cut out yof the end thereof to provide an opening, 2, through which access may be had to the shuttle. In the sewing machines with which l am familiar this opening is closed by a plate having a tightly fitting dovetailed joint with the bed, making it difficult for the user to remove the plate. In accordance with my invention, I so construct the parts that the cover or plate 3, while firmly held in place, may be lifted out upon the release ofa simple catch. To

this end the bed of the machine is provided with depressedseats, 4 or 5, at opposite .sides of the opening V:2, theplateresting on these seats and being of such thickness that its top surface is Hush with the top'surface 'of the bed. At the'inner edge of the plate are one or more fingers, 6, projectingfrom the under side of the plate in position tohook under the adjacent portion of the bed when theplate is placed in position. VOn the under side of the plate is a swinging arm, 7,

hingedat one end -and'having at its other end a downwardly projecting hook, V8, so positioned that it will extend downwardly through a passage, 9, cut through the Vseat and engage with the under side of the bed at the edge of this passage; the passage being wide enough to permit the hook to swing from a locking position to an unlocked position. A. finger hole, 10, is formed inthe plate near the outer edge thereof; and the finger hole and the member '7 are so positioned relatively to each other that the latter overlaps the finger hole more or less when in its locked position. ln order to insure that the cover will be positioned accurately, it may be provided with a pair of downwardly projecting pins, 11 and 1Q, the

yfirst of which is adapted topenter a hole in the seat 4A while the other Yextends down through the passage 9 and engages with one of the bounding edges thereof.

While the parts may take various shapes and forms, those illustrated have been found to be very satisfactory. Thus the two tingers or lips, 6, form part of a V-'shaped plate, 13, bent at the apex into the form of a housing, 14, in which is placed a spring, 15, bearing against Vone edge ofthe arm-or lever v7, either directly, or through a plunger, V16, vand tending to hold this arm in its locking position. The member 7 may be made out of sheetmetal having at one'end a keyhole slot, 17, through the small end of which the hinge pin, 18, extends; while at the other end of the plate is a slot, 19, in the form of an arc of a circle having its center at the aXis of the pin 18; a Vholding and guide pin, 20, extending through the slot into the plate; the slot 19 having a branch, 21, opening out through one edge of the member 7 and there being a detachable screw 0r stop, 22, on the member 7 in a position to engage the guide member 20 and normally prevent it from moving out of the main portion ot' the slot 19. Furthermore, one of the edges of' the hook 8, as indicated at E23, or the corresponding bounding edge oi' the passage 9, as indicated at 2d, or both, are preferably made inclined so that the hook will automatically loe pressed back .against the tension'ot1 the holding spring when the plate 3 is placed in position and pressed downwardly; the spring moving the hook into its locking position after it has traveled down far enough.

It will be seen that when the cover plate is in position it is firmly held and, when it is desired to remove the same, all that is required is that the finger be inserted in the finger hole 10 to press the locking arm or lever laterally, whereupon the cover plate may be lifted up by means of the finger that is used to unlatch it.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the terms employed in the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a sewing machine, a bed having a section removed from one end to providean opening to give access to the shuttle, a cover for said opening, bearing seats for the cover arranged at the sides of said opening, a lip or finger on the cover adapted to project underneath a part of the bed, said cover having a pin adapted to enter a guide opening in one of the hearing seats, and a catch device adapted to hold the cover on said seats.

2. In a sewing machine, a bed having a section removed from one end to provide an opening to give access to the shuttle, a cover for said opening, bearing seats for the cover arranged at the sides of said opening, a lip or finger on the cover adapted to project underneath a part of the bed, said cover having a pin adapted to enter a guide opening in one of the bearing seats, the other hearing seat having a portion cut away'to :form a passage, and a catch device secured to the under side of the cover and adapted to project downwardly through said passage and interlock with the bed at one edge of the passage.

3. In a sewing machine, a 1eed having a section removed from one end to provide an opening to give access to the shuttle, a cover for said opening, bearing seats for the cover arranged at the sides of' said opening, a lip or finger on the cover adapted to project underneath a part of the hed, an arm hinged on the under side of the cover and having at one end a hook, said bed having a part adapted to be engaged by said hook, and a spring acting on said hook in a direction to force it into engagementwith the coperating part on the bed when the cover is placed l on said seats. Y

4. In a sewing machine, a bed having a section removed from one end to provide Yan opening to give access to the shuttle, a cover for said opening, bearing seats for the cover arranged at the sides of said opening, a lip or finger on the cover vadapted to project underneath a part of' the bed, an arm hinged on the under side of the cover and having at one end av hook, said bed having a part adapted to be engaged by said hook, and a spring acting on said hook in a direction to 'force it into engagement w'th the coperating part on the bedv'hen the cover is placed on said seats, said cover having a finger hole extending through the same and exposing a portion of said arm. f

5. Inv a sewing machine, Va bed rhaving a section removed from one end to provide an opening to give access tothe shuttle, a cover for said opening, hearing seats for the cover arranged at the sides 'et said opening,a lip or finger on the cover adapted to project underneath a part of the bed, an arm hinged on the under side of the cover and having at one end a hook, said bed having a part adapted to be engaged by said hook, and a spring acting on said hook in a direction to crce it into engagement with the coperating part on the bed when the cover is placed on said seats, said cover having therein a finger hole so placed that the said arm normally projects partly across the same so as to be wedged into a cover releasing position upon the insertion of a finger into said hole` In testimony whereof I sign this speci fcation. i

HARRY E. SMALLB ONE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents,

Washington, D. C. 

